Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross will cross to US sometime in the fall

Here, this is Mitsubishi's latest effort to take a piece of the CUV pie, the Eclipse Cross. The crossover makes its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show, and it seems just aggressive enough to be unique, but not so strange that it will frighten the average buyer. The most interesting points are the aggressive benchmarks of the XR-PHEV II Concept, such as the rear hatch, the robust rear wings and the deep fold to the side. However, the shape is still clearly crossed, and the nose is not too radical. In fact, it may be the most attractive version of the Mitsubishi shielding grid yet. Interestingly, the Eclipse cross is an inch or two in terms of size compared to the Outlander Sport, but this should change on the road when a newer, smaller Sport Outlander is introduced.

The interior follows a similar theme to the outside. The most striking aspect is the central stack, which tilts down towards the shift lever and projects onto the climate control knobs. But everything is finished in simple, harmless black and aluminum-look trim. The sliding and tilting rear seats should be useful for comfort and loading space. Next to the shift lever is a touch pad that looks very much like the pad used by Lexus for its systems. Some of our editors find that the Lexus version is pretty awful, so I hope Mitsubishi has refined and improved it. As a back-up, you can simply use the touch screen perched at the top of the dashboard, which can be more convenient for using the car's default user interface, or Apple CarPlay or Android Auto support . Also on the dashboard is a pop-up heads-up display similar to that in current Mazdas.

An important point of sale for the Eclipse Cross is its standard four-wheel drive. There is only one engine and one transmission. The power comes from a turbocharged gasoline of 1.5 liters in line-four, and it is channeled through a CVT with 8 ratios that can be manually moved. Mitsubishi has yet to announce an exit for the four-pot. Other markets will have the option of a 2.2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel with an 8-speed automatic, but it will not make the trip to the US.

Europe will be the first to get the Eclipse Cross, where it will be presented to dealers this fall. Thereafter, he will arrive in other markets, including the United States. So expect it to appear some time at the end of this year, or maybe the beginning of next year. The price has not yet been announced.